Grand Lake (Michigan)

Grand Lake
Location of the lake in Michigan.
Location of the lake in Michigan.
Grand Lake
Location of the lake in Michigan.
Location of the lake in Michigan.
Grand Lake
LocationPresque Isle County, Michigan
Coordinates45°18.14′N 83°29.76′W / 45.30233°N 83.49600°W / 45.30233; -83.49600
Typespring fed
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length7 mi (11 km)
Max. width1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Surface area5,660 acres (22.9 km2)
Surface elevation594 feet (181 m)[1]

Grand Lake is a 5,660-acre (22.9 km2)spring fed lake in Presque Isle County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Grand Lake is a substantial lake of approximately 7 miles (11 km) in length and up to 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in width. The lake is on the boundary between Presque Isle Township to the east and Krakow Township to the west, approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Alpena on U.S. Highway 23, which passes to the south and west of the lake.[2]

Fishing species include: bluegill, bullhead catfish, northern pike, garpike, bowfin, pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker, yellow perch, and walleye.[3]

The lake lies on the landward side of a prominent promontory in the county that juts out into Lake Huron, thereby making the promontory almost an island and indirectly giving the promontory and county their name of "Presque Isle." The lake contains many islands, such as Brown Island, Grand Island, and Macombers Island.[2]

The two Presque Isle, Michigan lighthouses are nearby to the east: the New Presque Isle Lighthouse at 4500 E. Grand Lake Road and the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse at 5295 Grand Lake Road.

Deposits of Rock salt were discovered at a depth of 1284 feet in the vicinity of Grand Lake.[4] On the west shore of the lake are ledges, which rise to a height of 40 feet above lake level, and include Cerepatora fossils along with crinoid stems.[5]

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grand Lake (Michigan)
  2. ^ a b Michigan Atlas and Gazetteer (10th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2002.
  3. ^ Fishing web, Grand Lake facts
  4. ^ R. A. SMITH, State Geologist IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DIVISION, Publication 33. Geological Series 27. MINERAL RESOURCES OF MICHIGAN WITH STATISTICAL TABLES OF PRODUCTION AND VALUE OF MINERAL PRODUCTS FOR 1921 AND PRIOR YEARS. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SURVEY FOR 1921[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Lanee, Alfred Church (1901) Report of the state Board of Geological Survey By Michigan. Geological Survey, Lansing, Michigan: Wynkoop, Hallenbeck, Crawford, p. 190.